FORREST
My world just turns fucking upside down.
I HAD been holding these indescribable feelings since I left her sleeping in my room. For the first time, I broke my own rules for someone, and I felt something heavy had lifted out of my chest.
I could see a million questions forming in her head, though. I knew one question would lead to another, and I wasn’t ready to hand her over my answers. I was grateful that somehow she understood me, and she didn’t press even though she was itching to ask.
I just went with my gut to trust her, but it didn’t mean she had to know more than what she already saw. Not yet—not until I was successful with my plan.
“Give that to me, Megan.” Damn, this woman was testing me. She just snatched the cigarette from my fingers. Thankfully, I was faster than her, and I had her in my grip before she could escape. “Don’t you wanna call your mom?”
She faced me. “Oops! Sorry.” Instead of giving back the stick, she showed me a cheeky grin and let it slip from her fingers.
I pressed my lips into a hard thin line as I glared at her, but her smile had me falling apart. I felt my brows had drawn back to their places, and I was amazed to see her gorgeous face. “Don’t do that again.”
“Or what?” Jesus, she was resilient.
Swearing under my breath, I couldn’t respond anymore. My tongue suddenly thickened in my mouth.
I needed to put some distance between us, or else I might do something stupid. I had to put all my strength to prevent the repercussions. My muscles were taut to stop me from pulling Megan closer and kissing her to shut the smile off of her lips. She was just so beautiful, and the image of my lips smashing into hers raced my heart and tightened my groins.
She got me—she knew what she was doing affected me, and she was pushing me beyond my limit.
I wanted her–there was no denying that. I was going to have her. But first, I needed to tell her who I was and what I’d been up to. I also needed to make sure that I was stronger than my obsession with her before this thing between us got any deeper.
“I have to go, and I need to call my mom,” she announced.
When I thought I could breathe in relief, my gut wanted me to stop her. The fact that I didn’t like the idea of her taking a cab to take her car was already bugging me. Right now, I was tempted to send her home. It may sound stupid, but I wanted to spend some time with her despite her being pissed at me most of the time.
I loosened her arm until I was only holding her hand like in a fucking romance movie. “Just take care.”
Her smile widened, eyes glittered as she squeezed my hand before she let it go. I wanted to hold it longer, to stay this way as if it was our moment, and for the longest time, I felt like I was a normal person again without the huge responsibility weighing on my shoulder.
It was annoying how I wasn’t ready for her to go just yet, then I remembered something way more important than being a whip. I clenched my jaw hard to stop talking. I looked away when I saw her shadow slowly fading from my sight.
What the fuck was that?
“Fuck,” I growled out a curse and wanted to kick something for being too carried away by the whole situation.
“That’s what I thought. That plot unexpectedly thickens.” I stiffened at the voice behind my back.
“How long have you been there, watching?” I didn’t bother turning around. It was Pyke, but I didn’t give a damn what he saw or what he heard.
“Enough to hear the” he chuckled in amusement, then his footsteps were getting closer. “I’m glad you made a move, Wood because I know it sucks to keep your feelings left unsaid. At least you didn’t end up having a bruised cheek like me. And tell you what. Keeping a sexual tension as strong as yours to yourself is dangerous, man. It’s like a goddamn radioactive. Then, kaboom!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I didn’t deny it. I was just not ready to talk about it.
“Sure about that, man? I am not blind, you know. I was actually waiting for a moment when you realize that a girl like Megan won’t wait for your dumbass-ness self to figure out that you’re actually falling for her. I don’t know who you really are, but I watched how you look after my girls, and I know I can also trust you with her.”
“I think you’re not good at judging people. You said yourself, you don’t know me. And I am not making a move on Megan. I was just helping her.”
“Helping? Well, that’s quite a huge denial you got there, Wood. Tell me any woman you invited to sit in your car? Or held a hand and said just take care, babe? If you can name one, I let what I just witnessed go.”
“Damn it, Hughes. First, I didn’t call her babe,” I pointed out. “Secondly, just shut your fucking mouth.” I walked past him toward the club with hands already balled into fists in irritation.
“I know you’re a good guy, Wood, but don’t ever hurt my wife’s best friend. And I care about Megan just like our girls.” Pyke wouldn’t shut up. He even followed me inside.
Sometimes it was better to shut up than to argue, especially when you knew you would only lose in the end.
I had two more hours left when I took a break at my usual spot. The club was not busy tonight. Or I thought it wasn’t because most of the time, my mind went back to Megan. I wanted to call her if she got home safe, but something was stopping me. Perhaps, I didn’t want to raise more suspicions for Pyke and Xandry. Additionally, half of the time, I was busy glaring at them while they kept fucking smirking at me the whole night.
I lit a stick and stared at it for seconds. I clenched my eyes shut and threw the stick away. What’s going on with me? Since when did I care about what people thought about me?
“I’ve been there, done that, Wood, but what I didn’t see it coming is that my wife’s best friend has you pussy-whipped to a certain degree. Couldn’t light a stick already without thinking what would she say, huh? Man, it’s not that I have a say to whom she’s gonna date, but if—”